Kenyan court allowed legal notice to be served to Meta outside the country
Kenyan court allowed legal notice to be served to Meta outside the country. Petitioners claim that the company has failed to moderate inciteful messages on the platform that fueled violence in East Africa.
Two Ethiopians sued Meta Platforms in Kenya over Facebook posts, claiming that the company has failed to moderate inciteful messages posted on the platform that fueled violence in East Africa. Following the company’s argument that Kenya does not have jurisdiction over the case, Kenya’s High Court Judge Mugure Thande allowed the legal notice to be served outside the country, in the USA.
Petitioners claim that Facebook should be held accountable for spreading hate and violence in East Africa and that users in Kenya and other African countries are treated differently, especially in times of conflict. It is also argued that Facebook’s software designs have caused hatred and incitement to violence to go viral repeatedly. Thus, the petitioners demanded historic safety changes, such as adjustments to the algorithm to protect users.
Amnesty International’s legal advisor, Fisseha Tekle, stated that ‘human rights groups cannot protect people’s rights if social media fuels hate and disinformation.’
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